Definition The Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF) is a fee imposed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for U.S. imports shipped via ocean freight. It is charged at 0.125% of the value of the commercial cargo shipped through identified ports. The HMF is deposited...

Definition The Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) is a fee imposed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for most U.S. imports. The MPF is charged at 0.3456% of the value of the merchandise being imported. There is a minimum fee of $25 and a maximum of $485 for...

Global business can be tricky, especially when you are not familiar with your business partner’s culture. A normally friendly gesture used in American business can offend someone from another country while idioms can be lost in translation and be easily...

It’s mid-February, nearing your shipment deadline, and your supplier in Shanghai hasn’t responded since your last email a week ago. While an entire country is celebrating, you’re in full panic-mode. Maybe you forgot or maybe you didn’t even know about Chinese New Year...